Riding a bike is fun, but your quads might not always agree. If you buy an electric one, however, you’ll get the freedom and exercise of a bike with motorized support when you need it. The Vektron D8 from Tern is ideal for those who live a few miles from campus and don’t want their ride to dominate the school day. With eight gears and five levels of assistance, even big hills become easily surmountable. Meanwhile, the low center of gravity (thanks to the motor placement) makes it a good option around town, too.

One charge should be good for between 25 and 55 miles of assisted riding, but once you get above 20MPH, you’ll be picking up the slack (still, that’s pretty fast). The hydraulic disc brakes will safely slow you down, and as the Vektron is foldable, you can tuck it under your desk or easily take it on public transport if you need to. We also like the Vektron’s rear storage rack, which is handy for lugging all of your gear to class.